Step tread



Nov. 17, 1925. 1,561,668

A F. H. sTANwooD STEP TREAD Filed Feb. 2l, 1921 i ingthe vehicle.

vlratentecl Nov. 11'17, 1925).

umransra'ras PATENT oFFlcE.

FRANK E. STANWOOID, 0F WILMETTE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 STANWOOD EiQ'UIP.

` KENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

STEP TBEAD.

Application lled February 21, 1921. Serial No. 446,785.

Improvement in Step Treads, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to safety ste plate's" or treads for use in vehicles, lo suc I as railway cars,` automobiles and the like, and has for a principal object the `pro vision of a tread consisting in the main of rubber reinforced by metal sheets and so constructed that its parts may be arranged and rearran d.

Another andhi hly important object of the invention is t e rovlsion of a nosing separate fromthe b y so that the nosing may be separately replaced without requirin replacement of the entire tread.

iywinvention contemplates in the .fore- Y goin connectionsithe provision of a main trea which may be reversed in position to permit theback andl relatively unworn part ofthe tread to occupya front position after the front has been worn in service, and in this connection Acontemplates also the provision of a nosing adapted to mate with either the front orthe back and be separately replaceable shouldit be required, in a particular instance, to endure relatively harder service than `is demanded of the main portion.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a tread and nosing separately constructed and arrangeable together to form the complete step protection, said nosing and tread being adapted to mate tightly in engagement in position to present the ap earance of-asingle unitary structure and a so to prevent entrance of moisture and dirt between the arts or to work in between the parts and t e step on which they are positioned. kz

Another objectof the'invention is the provision of such a construction, which will be self-cleaning in action and which will eiectually prevent slipping of the persons stepping upon the in entering or leav- N'umerous other. objects and advantages of 55 the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following descriptlon, whlch, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, Adiscloses a preferred embodiment thereof. e

Referring to the drawing,

Flgure 1 is a top plan view of a steptread embodying my present invention;

0 1g. 2 is a transverse sectional View of av rallway car step upon which the tread may be ositioned;

ig. 3 is a similar sectiontaken through the main tread member;

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Flg. 5 is a section taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown on the drawing a car step comprising a to or tread member 1116 having a downturne flange 12 at its rear edge and a downwardly inclined flange part 1,3 at itsfront edge, which terminates 1n a downwardly extending vertical part 14. This tread may be supported in any suitable manner as by the riser 15 at the front and the end anges 16 ada ted to be secured to appropriate parts. T e tread selected for the purpose of illustrating the invention as an embodiment of it com rises a main mem- 05 ber shown in Fig. 3 an a nosing member shown in Fig. 4. The main member is provided with an` internal reinforcin metal sheet 17 which may be constructc in accordance with the like member in my earlier Patent No. 1,185,445 and which is referably vulcanized to the body materia as in my later Patent No. 1,257,144. This tread is provided with a covering 18 beneath it of ru ber composition, rubberized cloth or the 05' like-and with a covering above it indicated at 19 upon which is provided upwardly extending isolated ribs 21.

These ribs are arranged in parallelism and are non-intersecting so that any dirt acl cumulating between them may work out at the ends merel y by the motion of the ve-I hicle or be u ed out should occasion require it. e front and rear edges 22 of the plate are of like formv and construction step edge and provided with the .under rubber covering sheet 26, it being understood that rubber composition and rubberized cloth may be used of course if desired- The material on the outside of the reinforcing member 23 is relatively, thin opposite the vertical part 27 of the metal reinforce 23, as indicated at 28, and thereabove is thickened and corrugated, as indicated at 29. This thickened part at the top and over ,the edge of the step is substantially of a(r depth equal tothe height of the ribs so that the coating formssubstantially a continuation of the plane ofthe topsof the ribs.

The nosing is held inA place by fastening bolts 31 extending through the rubber part 25, plate 23 and undercoating or covering 26, and the step itself. .The apertures for the bolts 31 areso arranged with respect to the main tread member that the front edges 22 thereof are disposed beneath the rear edge -32 of the nosing whereupon tightening of the bolts 31 draws down the adjacent edge of the nosing into pressure surface contact with the bevel edge 22 of the main member, thereby Isealing the space between the two and giving to the entire construction the appearance of a singleV continuous member. This construction also serves to prevent dirt and moisture working in beneath the nosing and main members. It is manifest that the main member may be turned edge for edge and mate with the same or substituted nosing of like construction thereby insuring maximum economy 1n servlce, c

It is thought that the 'invention and many of its attendant advantages will be undersood` from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

Iclaim:

1. A safety step tread for steps of automobiles, railway' cars and the like, comprising a reversible nonslipping covering having yon its upper surface a series of upstanding yieldable ribs and provided on its fron't and rear edges wit a nosing-engaging marginal portion, and a separate non-slipping nosing member adapted to overlie; and closely engage either of said marginal portions of v said reversible covering in edg'eto edge contact, to prov-1de a maximum of wear of said.

step tread. A. Y,

2. A safetypstep rtread yfor the steps of ing of yielding prising a main bo y part, and a separate nosing part, each presenting irregular friction safety surfaces and arrange-able upon a .step withthe adjacent edges in pressed surface contact.

ing and vulcanized to said plate and having on its upper lsurface a series of upstandi yieldable ribs, said covering being provide on its front and rear edges with bevelednosing engaging portions, and a separate non-slipping nosing member adapted to overlie and closely engage reither of said front and rear beveled portions of said reversible covering in edge to edge contact, to permit said covering and said nosing member to be removably secured to the step by a single fastenin means toprovide a maximum of wear o -said step tread.

4. A safetyv step tread. for the steps of automobiles, railway cars and the like, comprising a main tread member adapted to overlie a substantially flat step and having upstanding isolated ribs, an internal reinforcing member, and a nosing member adapted to extend over the front edge of the step and overlying the adjacent edge of the main tread member. J

5. A safety step tread for steps of automobiles, railway cars and the like, comprising an internal metal body plate, a reversible non-slipping covering completely surround-v maximum of wear of said step tread, and' means for removably 'securing said nosing member to the step.

v 6. A safety step tread for the steps of automobiles, railway cars and the like, comprising a main tread member of soft yieldl Aing material molded about a reinforcing plate, and a separate nosing member overlying and mating at the front ed e with the main tread member and of simi ar material and similarly relnforced.

7 A nosing member for a car step, automobile running boardA or the like, comprising a metal sheet bent to conform to the edge of thel step on which it is attached, a coatfriction material disposed thereabout, sal tial thickness above said plate, and means coating being of substan- I extending throu h said material and Said 'and providing' athickened corrugated upper plate and adapte to extend through the step face said body being vulcanized to said metal to fasten the same in place. and adhering thereabout by reason of such 10 8. A nosing, comprising a metal sheet bent vuloanization, and means for removably ee- 5 to conform to the edge of a car step, autocuring said nosing to said step and running mobile running board or the like, and a body board. of rubber composition enveloping the same FRANK H. STANW OOD. 

